Love in Close Quarter

The Late Dinner

Day 9

For the past three days, I've been coming home late due to an annual meeting that lasts until late. My job takes up too much time so I haven't had a chance to spend time with the other residents. Whether this was luck or not, on the one hand I could escape the awkwardness I felt being in this strange place, on the other hand it was not beneficial for me because I couldn't get to know the other residents well, especially the male residents. I walked from the main road to the small road to the house. When I arrived, I saw someone I had seen for the past 3 days sitting in the living room near the entrance and playing with his phone.

"Are you home? Have you had dinner?" he asked, which was answered by a shake of my head.

For the past 3 days, he has asked me the same question. Seeing my answer, he got up from his seat and headed to the kitchen which is located on the left side of this house. I followed him while asking, "Why haven't you had dinner until this late?"

He turned to look at the clock on the wall which showed 11 pm.

"I just got home too... and I saw you haven't come home either, and my guess was right... haven't you had dinner?"

"What if I had dinner?" I asked him further.

"I'll ask you to have dinner with me....

"But I didn't ask you to wait for me...

"You never want to give in... At least, I've been kind enough to wait for you, so at least you can have dinner with me?" he actually grumbled

Honestly, we were arguing about something that didn't even happen.

"Let me make you samgyeopsal for dinner tonight. This morning, I marinated the meat and put it in the refrigerator," I said while opening the refrigerator. I took the meat that I had put there this morning and put it on the Island kitchen. While waiting for the meat to thaw a bit, I prepared a pan on the stove, looking for some lettuce, onions, and kimchi to prepare on small plates. I decided to cook tonight because for the past 2 days, Yohan has prepared dinner for me.

"What are you doing today?" he asked while taking out some beers and sodas from the refrigerator and heading to the dining table to put them there.

"Annual meeting, we had a meeting with the heads of other branches. Then, what about you?" I said.

"There was a little problem at the office so I had to come home late...

"Do you usually come home this late?" I asked while cutting the meat with kitchen scissors and putting it in the pan

"Sometimes.... " Yohan's answer seemed brief to me again. His answers are always short when asked serious things, and will be very long if he grumbles or invites others to argue.

"How does it taste?" I asked Yohan about the samgyeopsal I had just cooked.

"Not bad... " Yohan replied.

"You should have answered with 'delicious' or 'yummy', I made you food in the dead of night.... " I nagged him.

"And I made you dinner for the past 2 days, so you should thank me.

"Last night was your turn to cook with Yuri... " I replied again

"then, 2 days ago....

"hmmm, I don't know... " my response was a bit indifferent to him. He didn't continue our conversation, actually I was grateful that he had made me dinner for the past 2 days, and for keeping me company while eating for the past 2 days.

"Do you feel comfortable being here?" I asked Yohan again.

"I'm not used to being around too many people, it still feels strange, but I don't think about it too much...

"You enjoy your work....

"I think so, I chose my current job. I went through a long process before I chose my current job.

"What was your previous job?"

"Model..."

"I never thought someone like you could be a model..." I commented to Yohan.

"I wonder what your photos will look like when you're a model?"

"What for, are you going to laugh at me..."

"No, I never imagined someone like you being a model..."

"What do you mean by someone like me? Am I really that weird?"

"I feel like you're very stiff..."

"It's my character that's stiff, not my body..."

"I guess you're right, can you smile?" I asked again, followed by him trying to smile at me.

"It seems like none of your pictures will have a smile, right?"

"Don't be mistaken, if I smile later too many women will fall for me..." he replied, and for some reason he suddenly boasted himself.

"Is it too late for you right now that you're like possessed by something?" I asked jokingly, actually enjoying our conversation which became more relaxed.

"Not really..."